The rising value of NBA franchises makes it “quite likely” that the Thunder’s partners and Chair Clay Bennett “will want to sell soon,” according to sources cited by Berry Tramel of the TULSA WORLD. There is one fewer reason for the ownership group to retain the franchise. Apart from bringing an NBA franchise to their home state, the owners have “achieved the ultimate goal,” winning the O’Brien Trophy. Tramel wrote “soon” is a variable. The owners could wait until the Thunder’s new $1B arena opens in 2028, which will be “another landmark event” for the franchise, city and state. The expectation is that new ownership “would keep the team in Oklahoma.” Selling for more than 10 times what the franchise cost in 2006 “could be too much windfall to bypass for the Thunder owners,” none of whom are younger than 65. With an NBA championship banner soon to be hanging from the Paycom Center rafters, a roster positioned for future success, the new arena assured and a Thunder lease through 2050, plus the “skyrocketing valuations” of franchises, the “right time for selling seems to be approaching” (TULSA WORLD, 7/2).
Report: Rising NBA valuations could entice Thunder owners to sell
